Australian on Meta’s ‘Supreme Court’ warns of tensions over fact-checking curb

The sole Australian member of Meta’s internal “Supreme Court” has vowed it will keep holding the company to account on human rights after founder Mark Zuckerberg scrapped its US fact-checking program and reduced curbs on contentious topics, bowing to criticism from conservatives.

Nicolas Suzor, a member of the Oversight Board that issues rulings to Facebook and Instagram on whether posts should be allowed or pulled down, predicted Meta’s move on Wednesday to a libertarian footing would increase tension in the space.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that recent elections influenced his decision.Credit: AP

“The Oversight Board was created so that decisions don’t get made unilaterally by tech company CEOs responding to political pressure,” said Suzor, a professor at the Queensland University of Technology.

He said the board, which operates independently of Meta but receives funding from the social media giant to act as what Zuckerberg has described as its “Supreme Court”, would keep operating.

“As long as [Meta’s policies] are consistent with human rights values, we’ll assist in continuing to interpret them, and will monitor closely to ensure that Meta doesn’t depart from its fundamental commitment to human rights,” Suzor said.

Meta’s move on Wednesday comes as Zuckerberg signalled a desire to mend fences with the incoming Trump administration and work with it to push back against restrictions on social media outside the United States.

Facebook Oversight Board member Nicolas Suzor considers the thorniest cases of what should stay online or come down.Credit: Attila Csaszar

The changes will affect Facebook, Instagram and Threads – three of the world’s biggest social media platforms, with more than 3 billion users globally – in the US initially, but are likely to be rolled out globally.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose government passed legislation last year to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms, stood by his plans despite the prospect of Zuckerberg working with Trump to target Australia.

“The social media ban is an Australian policy in the interests of young Australians and Australian families. And we say to Australian parents, we’ve got your back,” he told ABC News Breakfast. “My government will stand up for Australia’s interests.”

Last week, Meta elevated Republican policy executive Joel Kaplan as global affairs head and on Monday announced it had elected Dana White, chief executive of Ultimate Fighting Championship and a close friend of Trump, to its board.

“We’ve reached a point where it’s just too many mistakes and too much censorship. It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression,” Zuckerberg said in a video.

X owner Elon Musk: Zuckerberg’s change follows X’s embrace of community notes. Credit: Bloomberg

He acknowledged the role of the recent US elections in his thinking, saying they “feel like a cultural tipping point, towards once again prioritising speech”.

In place of a formal fact-checking program to address dubious claims posted on Meta’s platforms, Zuckerberg instead plans to implement a “community notes” system similar to that used on Elon Musk-owned X, where users submit corrections and amplifications to suspect posts.

Meta has a fact-checking partnership with the Australian Associated Press, but that has not been terminated.

“Independent fact-checkers are a vital safeguard against the spread of harmful misinformation and disinformation that threatens to undermine free democratic debate in Australia and aims to manipulate public opinion,” said Lisa Davies, AAP’s chief executive.

“AAP FactCheck’s contract with Meta in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific is not impacted by its US decision and our fact-checking work continues in 2025.”

Zuckerberg said Meta would focus its automated systems on removing “high-severity violations” and illegal content such as terrorism and illicit drugs. It will stop proactively scanning for hate speech and other types of rule-breaking, and review such posts only in response to user reports.

The company will move safety teams overseeing content policies and review out of California, to other locations, including Texas, he added.

The demise of the fact-checking program, started in 2016, caught partner organisations by surprise.

“We didn’t know that this move was happening, and it comes as a shock to us. This is definitely going to affect us,” said Jesse Stiller, managing editor at Check Your Fact.

President-elect Donald Trump: Meta has ‘come a long way’.Credit: AP

The head of the International Fact-Checking Network, Angie Drobnic Holan, challenged Zuckerberg’s characterisation of its members as biased or censorious.

“Fact-checking journalism has never censored or removed posts; it’s added information and context to controversial claims, and it’s debunked hoax content and conspiracies.

Credit: Matt Golding

“The fact-checkers used by Meta follow a code of principles requiring non-partisanship and transparency,” she said in a statement.

Kristin Roberts, Gannett Media’s chief content officer, said, “Truth and facts serve everyone – not the right or the left – and that’s what we will continue to deliver.”

“We’ve learnt the news as everyone has today. It’s a hard hit for the fact-checking community and journalism. We’re assessing the situation,” Agence France-Presse said in an emailed response to Reuters.

Other partners did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Reuters declined to comment. Meta’s independent Oversight Board welcomed the move.

Zuckerberg in recent months has expressed regret over certain content moderation actions on topics including COVID-19. Meta also donated $US1 million ($1.6 million) to Trump’s inaugural fund, in a departure from its past practice.

“This is a major step back for content moderation at a time when disinformation and harmful content are evolving faster than ever,” said Ross Burley, co-founder for non-profit Centre for Information Resilience.

“This move seems more about political appeasement than smart policy.”

When asked about the company’s plan to end fact-checking, Trump said: “They have come a long way, Meta. The man [Zuckerberg] was very impressive.”

He added that Zuckerberg was probably responding to threats made to him.

Meta’s community notes will allow users to call out posts that are potentially misleading and need more context, rather than placing the responsibility on independent fact-checking organisations and experts.

Meta said it would not intervene in the adding of community notes to posts on its platforms.

With Reuters

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